Trap nest



F. KEYSE Feb; 8, 1927'.

TRAP NEST 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug 24 1925 v 1,616,6 1 F. KEYSE Feb. 8 1927.

TRAP NEST Filegi Aug. 24. 1925 "2 Sheets-Sheet 2 partly open so that the hen isencourage Patented F ch. 8, 1927.

FREDERICK KEYSE, or PASADENA,CAi-1IOR1\TiA. i

' TRAP NEST. if

Application filed. Au ast 24, 1925. Serial nasaisa.

My invention is a trap nest to permit hens to enter the nest, pass out through the same entrance if they do not lay any eggs .and to pass out a rear door should they lay eggs, the front door being locked to prevent egress therethrough. p 1' My trap nest is designed to be in part actuated by the weight of the hen walking on a pivoted nest 'toflower the front door andto lock the back door to prevent exit therethrough. Should the hen not lay an egg, it cannot get out by the rear door but in walking towards the front of'the nest the front door is automatically opened. v The egg opera-ted features of the nest are controlled through the weight of the egg inrolling off of the nest on to a balanced scale mechanism whereby the front door becomes locked and the rear door is fo gped to leave the nest. In the meantime the egg is rolled into a basket or tray at the front of the nest inthe lower portion thereof and may be readily removed at any time by the attendant. p

The resetting of the nest is caused by the hen leaving through the backdoor, and this door swinging closed with sufficient dynamic force to reset the nest by forcing the egg nest is designated, generallyasa nest box 1, having opposite flat-sides, fiat top and bottom with flat front and; back end Walls,

scale to its normal position and unlocking and opening the front door and at the same time raising the nest to its normal position.

The trapnest is thus in position-for the next hen and the operation is continued for successive layings. v

My invention will be more readily understood, from the following description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line 1'-1 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, showing the nest in its elevated position, the front door open, the rear door closed but not locked and the egg scale in its upper inoperative position. i

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows. showing the nest and the egg scale in their uppermost position with the latch forv the back door held out of engagement therewith. I

Fig. 3 is .a longitudinal section the same as Fig. 1 with the parts in a different'position due to the nest being depressed by: a

qhen walking thereon, thus closing the front door and locking the back door.

Fig. 4 is-a vertical cross secti I on the line l in the direction of the V p p. on of Fig. 3 I

arrows,;showing the'lock engaging the back door.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionsiinilarto Fig. 3, showing the operation of'the egg scales locking the front door and. partially opening they back door and also indicating an egg rolling and receiving tray.

Fig-6 is a vertical cross'section, of Fig. 5

on the line 66 ingthe direction of the arrows, showin theswivelling; of the back door lock out'of position by the egg scales.

Fig. 7 vis a horizontal plan .of the-interior of the nest on the line 7-7. of Fig. '5 in the direction of the arrows, showing the nest and the egg: rollingdevice at the rear end of nest. I Fig. 8 is a rear elevation'of the nest showing the pivoted back door and the shelf thereon. I Fig. 9 is ahorizontal planof the interior of thenest on the line 9-9' of Fig. 5. the

direction of the arrows.

FiglO is-a' perspective view of the egg receiving tray.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, the

except for the doors hinged thereto and the shelves for the ingress and egress of the hens. Anest 2, preferably formed of a Wire netting with suitable quilted or other like padding material, is swive-lled at its front end on a pair of oppositely positioned pivots I secured, to the oppositexside Walls. The

nest is constructed at-the s'icleswith a suitable framing for a purpose hereafter described. The front door-"4 ispivoted at 5' to an opening in thefront wall of the nest box and has abell crank lever"6isecured thereto. havinga counter-weight 7 on the lead therein.

and connects to afree bell crank 9 at its other'end, this latterbeing; pivoted on the side wall, the free end of this bell crank connected with the nest link secured at its lower. end to the upper side framing of the nest.

The back door lock comprises a lever 11 pivoted in about its mid position to the the back of the nest box as indicated at 16.

A lifting bar 17 isattached to the end framing of the opposite side of the nest, hanging downwardly therefrom, to form a positive lift device for the egg scale as hereinafter described.

The egg scale consists of a set of carefully balanced levers and links adjacent the. back wall of the box nest. An egg weighing lever 18 is pivotally mounted on one side of the box by the pivot 19 and has a slight depression 20 into which the egg rolls after rolling down the nest; The free end ofthe weighing lever is connected to a short vertical link 21 which attaches at its upper end to the front door locking lever 22 which is pivoted at about its mid position to one of the side walls. as shown in the'drawings on the left hand side, looking from the front. This lever has an upbent end 23 adapted to engage behind an angle plate 24 on the front door 4:.

When a hen enters through the open door at the front when it is in the position of Fig. 1 and walks towards the back of the nest, the weight of the'hen causes the nest to swing downwardly into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. -This action pulls down on the link 10, rocks t-he'bell crank 9. draws on the link 8 and through the bell crank 6 closes the front door 4 and raises the counter-weight 7 into the position shownin Figs. 3 and. 5. I find it desirable to have the counter-weight barely touch the top of the box nest when in this position, as it indicates if the other levers and links, etc., are in proper adjustment. This'action it will be noted merely closes but does not lock'the front door.

The above action of depressing the nest by the weight of the hen locks the back door by swivelling the lever 11 from the position shown in Fig, '2 to that of Fig. t-with the lock 13 securing the door closed and. locked and depressing the lifting bar 17 so that the egg scale, weighinglever 18 may operate by the weight of the egg.

After a hen has laid an egg she cannot get out of the back door on account of it being locked and is not'apt to attempt to get out of the front door on account of it having only a small opening for the head and neck andbeing fiat, whereas the rear door has a large opening and, is curved to engage a hens shoulders, encouraging it to endeavor to open the back door,

It will be noted that the nest is curved in cross section, being sharply angular at the sides with a gradual slope towards the left hand side and as the nest is tilted-it will slope from front to back. Thus no matter in what part of the nest the is laid, it will roll transversely to the lowest portion and then'roll backwardly in the nest to the rear edge thereof. lit will then roll on to the depression 20, on the egg weighing lever 18. This depression is covered with padding material in order that the egg will not be broken.

The weight of the egg depresses this lever, drawing down on the link 21 and rocking the locking lever 22, thus forcing the end 28 up behind the angle plate 241 and locking the front door as shown in Fig. 5. The back door is unlocked by means of the cam bar 25 rigidly secured adjacent the free end of the weighing lever, and extending upwardly to engage the lock 13 and swivel it from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 6. On account of the shape of the lock 18, when so swivelled it clears the base of the angular plate 1 1 and thus unlocks the back door. The lock 13 rests against a pin 26 secured to the rear wall, which in the downward movement of the lock straightens it into its upright operative position as shown in Fig. 2. I

The action of the egg scale and the tilting of the locking lever 22, forces the stub end 27 of the lever 28 pivoted to the side of the box, forwardly from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that shown in Fig. 5. This action forces the link 29 rearwardly and f swivels a blocking foot 30 which is pivoted at 31 to the side of the box and has a pin and slot connection 32 wit-h the end of the link 29. The foot is brought into substantially square engagement with the rear portion of the locking lever 22 as shown in 5, from the canted position as shown in 1 and 3. A. thrust rod 33 slidably mounted in a bracket 34 secured to a side wall of the nest box, thrusts the lower end of the rear door 15 outwardly from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that shown in Fig. 5. a

As the egg depresses the weighing lever 18, it is subjected to the action of an egg rolling device 35 secured to the rear wall of the box, which forces the egg off the lever as shown in Fig. 5 on to the egg tray 36 which is inserted and removable through an opening 37 at the bottom of the front of the egg box. This tray is preferably constructed of canvas at an incline from the back to the front so that the egg will M nest to the front door,"whereby on the downward movement of the nest due to theweight of the hen entering by the frontdoor and "depressing the nest, the front door is swung closed and the back door 1s locked closed,

' an'egg scale comprising a weighing'lever pivotally mounted in the box'and having means to receive an egg rolling olfqthe nest, a locking lever pivoted to one side of'the box, a link Connecting the weighing and locking lever, means connected to the looking lever to lock the front door on the downward movement of the weighing lever, and a cam: bar attached to the weighing lever and a pivoted lock engaging the back door,

said cam operatingthe saidlock to unlock the back door.

5. A trap nest comprising in combination a nest box of substantiallyrectangular section, a front door and a back door pivotally mounted on opposite ends to swing outwardly at their base, a nest pivotally supported adjacent the forward end of the box,

said nest having a suitable frame, a bell crank lever connected to the front door, a

free bell crank mounted on the side of the box,a link connecting the bell cranks and a link from the free bell crank to the framing of the nest whereby on depression of the nest the front door is swung closed.

6. A trap nest as claimedin claim 5, having in addition a lever p voted ad acent therear wall and havinga.swivelling lock attachedthereto and a link from the lever to thenest framing adaptedto lock the back door in its closed position on depression.

of the nest.

7 A trap nest as claimed in claim 5, having in addition an egg scale comprising a \veighing lever pivotally, supported adjacent v the back walllof thenest, a locking lever alink to lock the front door on the down-f pivoted adjacent the side wall 'of the nest,

a link connecting the weighing lever and the locking lever and meanson the locking lever V to lock the front door closed.

8. A trap nest as claimed in claim 5, having in addition an egg scale having a weighing'lever pivoted adjacent one side of the box, adapted to receive an egg rollingfrom the nest, a system comprising a? lever and ward movement of the Weighing lever and a; cam plate'attached to the weighing lever positioned to engage the swivellinglock to unlock the back door.

9. A trap nest as claimed in claim 5, having in addition means operated"by the 10. A trap nest' comprising in combination a box-like nest structure having front,

the nest, the scale being positioned to receive I an egg rolling ofl? the nest, means to'rec'eive an egg rolling off, the scale and an egg rolling device secured to the back of the box, adapted to positively force an egg off the egg scale on depression thereof.

l1. A-trap nest as claimed in" claim 10, having in addition a front door pivotally mounted at its upper end, a system of links and levers including a bell crank and a counter-weight connected from the nest to the front door, adapted to close the front door on depression of the nest through the weight of the hen and to open the front door and raise the nest on the hen leaving the foward end of the nest, and a lifting bar attached to the nest and operatively connected to the egg scale adapted to raise same ontheelevation of the nest.

12. A trap nest as claimed in claim 10, having in addition a front door pivotally mounted at its upper end, a backdoor pivotally mounted. at its upper end, a system of links and levers including a bell crank and a counterweight connecting the nest and the front door, latches on both doors, said system of links and levers closing the front door but not latching same on depression of the nest, means to lock the back door on depression of the nest, means to lock the front door on depression of the egg scale, means to unlock the back door on depressionof the egg scale, and means to partially open the back door on depression of the egg scale.

13. A trap nest comprising in combination a box-like nest structure, a pivotally mounted nest adapted to swing downwardly v at the'back of the boX,'a pivotally mounted egg scale positioned to receive an egg rolling off the nest, a tray inserted through the front of the box a't the base thereof, positioned to receive an egg rolling off the egg scale during the downward movement of such scale, a front and a back door, operative mechanism connected with the nest to close the front door and lock the backdoor in its closed position,'an operative device connected to the egg scale to lock the front door, unlock the back door and in addition means to partially open the back door, said latter means being operatively engaged by the swinging closed off the back door to release the locking of the front door, allowing the front door' to open and the nest and r the egg scale to return to its normal position.

"14. A trap nest comprising in combina tion a box-like structure housing a nest,.afront door forming an entrance, a back door freely suspended on a horizontal pivot to close by its own Weight, forming an'exit, a nest movably mounted in the box, means operated by the movement of the nest through the Weight of a hen to close the front door, latching and unlatching means operated by such movement of the nest to non-laying hen leaving the nest through the front door. Y 1

ture With a nest therein, a front door forming an entrance and a back door forming-an exit, a movable nest 'in'the box and a movable egg receiving device in the box, means operated bythe nest to close the front door but not latch same and to latch-the back, door, I

means operated by the egg receiving device to latch the front door, means operated by f g I 15. A trap nest having abox-like structhe egg receiving device to unlatch the back door, and ,means operated'by theegg receiving device door. I p i v v In testimony whereof I, have signed my name to this specification. i

' FREDERICKKEYSE.

to partially open; the back 

